The Stuff of Legend
by DracarysDreams
Summary: An unusual mutant girl is recruited into the Avengers to help stop Loki. She has great potential, but there was a reason she tried to stay out of the superhero biz. As usual, SHIELD has been keeping secrets. What's Loki's interest, and what ties does she already have to the team? OC. Set during the Avengers movie.
1. Chapter 1

I awoke with a scream.

The scream tore through my body as I sat bolt upright in bed, my face wet with tears and my gut aching with the agony of grief. In a flash of images, I saw my mother's face, a glimpse of cold steel…but only for a second, before I fully awakened. My breathing was ragged as I collected myself, the nightmare slowly fading away and leaving me back in the reality of my bedroom.

The streetlight outside my window illuminated the dark room just enough that I could make out the numerous objects floating around my bed. Picture frames from atop the dresser, a vase, shoes from the closet, my alarm clock, and many other items were drifting about the room at eye level, but about as quickly as I noticed this, it stopped. Everything clattered to the floor. I winced as I heard the crack of glass as the fragile items hit the hardwood.

'Not again,' I thought glumly. 'God, this needs to stop happening.'

I had quite the mess to clean up…but it could wait until the morning. For now, I laid back down and curled into the fetal position, my arms wrapped tightly around myself as I drifted back off into slumber.

* * *

"All right, class, you can go. Don't forget: essay number three is due on Monday." The professor's voice projected through the lecture hall, growing louder to be heard over the sound of rustling papers and students scrambling to pack up their belongings. "No late papers, no exceptions! Have a great weekend."

I shut my laptop and stored it away in my backpack. Slinging the pack over my shoulder, I filed toward the front of the room where I paused at the desk. My classmates shoved past, piling out through the door.

"Mr. Davis?" I called, edging toward the desk.

The professor turned and smiled. "Haley," he said warmly. "I look forward to reading your paper. You've certainly set the bar high this semester."

I shrugged, smiling awkwardly at the praise. "Well, I've actually got a question about the paper. I want to make a last minute change…I know it's close to deadline, but I promise that it won't make me late."

"Oh? You were doing the paper on bipolar disorder, correct? I hope you're not thinking of changing the topic; there's nowhere near enough time for that."

"No, nothing so extensive," I assured him. "I know the paper isn't supposed to contain any personal anecdotes, but I think I've found a way to use something without it being too much of a problem. I think it'll add a lot. You remember, my mom had the disorder."

"Hmm," Mr. Davis' frowned as he studied me, mulling over the idea. "I know that this is a sensitive subject for you. If you're sure want to write about it, I suppose you have my permission, as long as you keep things professional. All right. Just be on time."

I nodded and made my exit, leaving the building and heading out onto the sunny NYU campus grounds. I had about two hours to get home, change, and head for work, so there was a briskness to my pace. As I passed one of the campus cafés, a man in a suit suddenly blocked my path.

"Ms. Gallagher, a moment of your time," said the man. I noticed that he had a partner standing nearby, as inconspicuous as one can be when dressed as formally as he was.

"Sorry, I've got no change," I said lightly, sidestepping the stranger. The man was obviously not a hobo. He knew my name and he was wearing a suit. I mean, really. My true suspicions were far more troubling, though, so if I could get away fast, all the better.

Again, the man blocked my path. "That's not what I'm after. Please, this will only take a minute."

"Sorry, I'm in a hurry. Go chase somebody else for your survey or whatever it is." I edged around him, keeping him at a distance until I was past. Then I took off at a run and got out of there.

At home, I tried to push away my concerns about the encounter. I walked into my bedroom to change my clothes and there I noticed the shattered glass littering the floor. Ah, of course. That morning, in my haste, I had put off doing the clean up from last night.

"Beautiful," I grumbled.

After concentrating carefully, I felt my feet leave the ground. I hovered several inches above the floor and took some cautious steps forward, above the glass. Once I felt stable enough, I bent and started picking up the items. I was tossing them toward the bed to get them out of the way, but I paused when I found one of the picture frames. I straightened and looked it over.

The frame held an old photo inside, one of the only pictures that I kept of my mother. It was taken at Coney Island and there was a ferris wheel in the background. I was twelve. Mom and I had our faces pressed together, both of us smiling hugely, our blonde hair blowing in the wind. Her blue eyes were bright and shining, my own chocolate brown ones full of mischief. It was a good day. Now, though, the picture had a tear in it. I stared at it a moment longer before tossing it to the bed with all the rest.

My gaze fell on the glass and I slowly lifted my hand, watching as the sharp, jagged pieces lifted into the air as well. I carefully directed them over to the waste bin in the corner and dropped them neatly inside. Problem solved.

My telekinesis was a useful tool, but I tried to use it sparingly. Truth be told, my control over it was limited and it was a source of constant concern. To make use of it, I had to reach a place of deep concentration, and to keep it from emerging on its own, I had to maintain a certain level of calm at all times. A blessing and a curse, as they say.

I ate quickly, changed, and about an hour later I arrived at work. The movie theater was hopping, which was fortunate. It gave me no time to dwell on my thoughts.

My shift was practically flying by. I had about ten minutes until my break and was handing popcorn to a young boy when a man approached the counter. I flinched when I recognized him as the suited fellow from earlier.

"Ms. Gallagher," he said, with a small smile.

I glanced both ways to see if my manager was nearby. She wasn't.

"Are you serious?" I asked, giving him an incredulous look. "Did you follow me?"

"Like I said before, I need a moment of your time."

I leaned forward and lowered my voice. "Did you actually _buy a ticket_ in order to come talk to me? I'd be flattered, but it reeks of desperation. "

The man smiled again. "In my job, it pays to be persistent. In the past, I've had to go to far greater lengths to gain an audience with people of interest. Please, let's talk."

I stepped back from the counter.

"Marie?" I took my eyes away from the suited man to speak with my manager. She was going to hate me for this. "I think I've got the flu or something. I've got to go home." Without waiting for an answer, I slipped through the door behind me.


	2. Chapter 2

It was dark when I arrived home from work. After unlocking my apartment door, I nudged it open with my foot, then stepped inside and flipped the light switch on with my elbow. My grocery bags slipped from my hands when I caught sight of the men in the kitchen. The suited man was back, now accompanied by an eye patch wearing friend.

"Dear God!" I exclaimed, reaching for the door behind me in alarm. "What is it with you people? Can't you just leave me alone? I thought I was very clear!"

"You were, Ms. Gallagher," said the suited man calmly. "I'm afraid this conversation has to happen. Please sit down and listen."

"Are you with the X-Men?" I demanded. "If you are, you guys have very short memories. We've been over this before and I'm still not interested."

"We're not with the X-Men, Ms. Gallagher," said the suited man. "We're with Strategic Homeland-"

"S.H.I.E.L.D," interrupted the man with the eye-patch. He had the sort of undefinable presence that commanded rapt attention. "Not the X-Men. We know all about your run-ins with the mutant team, and while that's all very interesting, it has no bearing on our business today."

"No?" I asked. "I'm not sure if that's better or worse."

"Why don't you have a seat and find out?" he suggested.

They were clearly not going to go away. Reluctantly, I left the doorway, keeping my eyes on the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents as I circled around to the kitchen table. I sat down on the edge of a chair, my posture tense and ready for action should the need arise. I did not expect things to get violent, though, and it seemed better to hear them out now if they were going to keep hounding me. The men seemed to relax a little once I settled in.

The man with the eye patch spoke first.

"My name is Nick Fury and this is Agent Coulson. I'm here today because I'm putting together a team of individuals with unique abilities, a team to combat a threat larger than any they've faced alone. We could use you."

I inclined my head, giving him an incredulous look. "Me? I gather that you're aware of my 'unique abilities,' but you should also know that I'm barely in control of them. I'd be a liability on this super team you're describing."

The men exchanged a look.

"You wouldn't be the only one with that problem, Ms. Gallagher," Fury replied.

"Haley," I said. "My name is Haley."

"Haley, then," he continued. "This wouldn't be your first experience in combat, would it? Your file states that you had a short stint of crime fighting under the alias Legend-"

"Can you please strike that off this-...this file you've got on me?" I asked, wincing. "I'd really like to forget all about that."

"Whether you want to remember it or not, it's a part of your past."

"I'd like to keep it that way: a part of the past. I've put the heroics behind me, all right?"

Fury eyed me critically. "You'd be a valuable asset to the team, Haley. Under normal circumstances, I would give you some time to think on what we've said, but we don't have that luxury anymore. You have two options. You can accept my offer and come with Agent Coulson and I, or we can bring you along a little less pleasantly."

My blood ran cold at the implied threat. He made it very clear that I had no true options. I wasn't sure what they were capable of, but something told me not to underestimate Nick Fury. My anxiety level was high, but even so, I felt my anger build.

I leveled my gaze on him, voice low. "Tell me, how exactly do _you_ intend to make _me_ do anything? I have the power to level this building, and unlike you, I would come out unscathed."

Fury clenched his jaw, his one eye narrowing. Agent Coulson lifted his hand to his ear, about to signal someone.

I lost my nerve and raised my hands slowly. "No. I'm not doing that. Look, I'll go with you, okay? It's just…what about school, and work? I can't just stop going."

Fury's expression was still fixed in a glare as he answered, "We'll take care of it. You'll have your job back when this is over and your schooling will continue."

"Good," I nodded. "Then let's do this."


	3. Chapter 3

Fury didn't stay long. Once he was assured that I would not be causing any trouble, he took off and left me with Agent Coulson, who had been tasked with transporting me and basically being a glorified babysitter. He lingered in the living room, seeming perfectly at home, while I packed up some belongings as quickly as I could. Apparently I was in for a sleepless night.

After I had the essentials stuffed into a backpack, I was swept off in a vehicle. We then hopped on a private jet, where I was given homework by Coulson to keep me busy for the overnight journey. The packet was mostly about something called the Tesseract, a mysterious cube that had been stolen from S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson, in his own patronizing way, told me that it would be all right if I skimmed through the so-called "science talk," but to me it was fascinating. An unlimited energy source? That was something our world sorely needed.

It was dismaying to think of the Tesseract in the wrong hands, but apparently that's exactly where it was. The information on the thief was sparse. He was an Asgardian called Loki, but what he was capable of was not fully known. I would have hoped for more to work with. He was clearly a force to be reckoned with, if S.H.I.E.L.D. felt the need to collect so many heroes to challenge him, and I didn't want to be unprepared.

Hours later, the jet landed on an enormous carrier ship somewhere on the ocean. I would have asked about our location if I thought they would give me an answer, but as it was, I decided not to concern myself with it. As I stepped out onto the landing pad, I squinted against the bright early morning sun as the strong ocean wind blew my hair about. After my sleepless night and the long journey there, I felt particularly disheveled and fatigued.

"Hey, Coulson," I called, turning to locate the agent. He was exiting the aircraft and putting on those unnerving sunglasses that hid his eyes so well. "Does Fury need me for anything right away? I'm dead on my feet."

"You're free until the rest of the team arrives. Would you like a tour of the base before you rest?"

I considered that briefly before shaking my head. "I think I just need to sleep for a while. Can we put off the tour until later?"

"Of course," he replied. "I'm actually needed for the pickup of one of your teammates, so I'll have to hand you off into the capable hands of Agent Turner here. Don't worry; he'll help you find your way. "

"That works for me," I replied, looking around as another suit came to my side. I lifted a brow at the sight of him. "You guys need name tags or something. The suits, the sunglasses, you could be twins."

Agent Turner's face remained impassive, though I thought I saw the subtlest hint of annoyance cross his features.

"Well, you'll be great company," I said, fighting off a smirk. "I'm already starting to miss Coulson."

I looked around to see that said agent appeared to be boarding another jet for his next pick up. Did that man never sleep? I wondered briefly about who he was fetching. Some other super powered individual, I knew that much, but who?

"Ms. Gallagher, if you would come this way," Turner said stiffly, motioning for me to walk toward what looked like the entrance to the ship's bridge. I nodded and fell into step beside him.

Turner led me inside. In my tired haze, the surroundings were a blur as we navigated our way through the base, passing by crew members, agents, and soldiers. Finally, Turner stopped by a small, plain looking room and gestured me inside. I stepped in, looking over my tiny but cozy quarters. It would suit me fine. I expected that I would not be spending much time in there, anyway.

Then I noticed the S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform laid out on the bed. I glanced at Turner, the question in my eyes.

Turner's expression did not change. Of course not. Finally, and rather grudgingly, he answered.

"We were told that you don't have a costume, so one has been provided for you. It's similar in design to Agent Romanoff's."

"Agent Romanoff?" I asked, confused.

He ignored that, already starting to leave. "Just flag somebody down if you need anything. As I'm sure Agent Coulson already mentioned, your teammates will be arriving later today, so I would suggest using your time wisely."

"All right, thanks," I said, but he was gone.

After putting the costume away, I collapsed on the small bed they set out for me, reflecting on the last twenty-four hours. So much had happened and so much more was to come. As I drifted off to sleep, I thought about the first time that I had been recruited by a special team. I was thirteen then, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

* * *

"_Did he like ice cream?" I asked, trying to keep up with my mother's pace while carrying an ice cream cone. It was dripping down my hand, melting in the summer heat. Together, we followed the sidewalk as it turned onto our street. The suburban neighborhood was lined with large trees with canopies that provided ample shade, offering some relief from the sun. _

"_Who?" Mom asked. She was fishing in her purse for her keys, paying me little attention. In her late thirties then, she was still beautiful, turning the head of almost every man she passed. She had long since stopped appreciating that, however._

"_My dad."_

_Mom threw me an irritated look. "Don't start. You know I don't like talking about him."_

"_I'm just curious. You never tell me anything about him."_

"_And I never will if you keep pestering me," Mom snapped._

_I fell silent. During the past few months, my mother had been alternating between a state of euphoria and a state of misery. One day, she would show me endless love and would start a million projects, talking excitedly of the future. The next, she would rage at me over small matters, then drink and start to cry. I sensed that the downturn was coming._

_She had always had those kinds of episode. They were minor in the past, but with the recent emergence of my mutation, it had worsened considerably. The stress had to be playing a part._

_We arrived at our driveway and walked up the path to the front door. As Mom put her key in the lock, we were approached by two figures that were cutting across the lawn. The first was a woman with long red hair, the second a gruff looking man whose gaze seemed fixed in a glare. _

"_Excuse me," the woman said gently. "Can we have a moment of your time? My name is Jean Grey and I'm here on behalf of the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters."_

"'_Gifted'?" Mom repeated in a skeptical tone. "Tell me you're interested in my daughter's grades."_

_Jean seemed to sense that my mother was not going to be very receptive. She turned to me.  
_

_"You are very bright, aren't you?" She asked, her voice kind. "I hear you've skipped two grades."_

"_You're not here for that, though, are you?" Mom pressed._

"_No," Jean admitted. "No, we're here today to talk about your mutation, Haley. But I assure you, you'd receive a very good education at our school, and we'll help you learn how to control your new powers. Logan here has the very same gift that you have."_

"_Oh yeah?" I looked at her companion with cautious interest. "Does it take _you_ two minutes to heal from a broken arm?"_

"_Less," he answered bluntly._

_I glanced at my mother. I knew without saying a word to her that she would not approve. If I went to a mutant school, there would be no way my life could ever return to normal._

"_I'm not interested," I told Jean._

_Jean seemed confused. She glanced from me to Mom and back again. "Are you sure? Maybe we should go inside and talk for a while. It'll give you some time to think it over before you decide."_

"_No," I said firmly, shaking my head. "I don't want to go."_

"_That settles that," said Mom, opening the door and ushering me inside._

_Jean looked after us uncertainly as I passed the threshold. "I hope you'll reconsider. I can leave my number, in case you ever want to call."_

"_Just leave us alone," I snapped suddenly. If she would just leave, it would make the decision easier. "I want to be normal, okay?"_

_The man, Logan, chuckled low in his throat. "You'll never be normal. It's a tough world out there for mutants, kid. You need us more than we need you."_

"_Logan," Jean began, her tone disapproving._

"_Just keep the phone number," said Logan, before turning and walking away. Jean handed me a card before following him. I knew that I would not call them._

**A big thank you to my reviewers! I appreciate the feedback and I apologize for the lack of action in this chapter. I promise that it's coming! I just wanted to focus on a little bit of character development. Also, while there will be mentions and a cameo, this story won't be much of an X-Men crossover. Thanks again and I promise to update soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of the morning passed me by as I slumbered. I came to in the afternoon, waking up in tears with my crumpled sheets muffling my shrieks. For a few awful seconds, I could feel warm blood on my hands, the sound of a gunshot ringing in my ears. I glimpsed the chaos- but then it was all gone, the dream fading into distant memory. I recovered then, counting myself lucky that I hadn't drawn a crowd of agents into my quarters to check on me. On another positive note, my room was so sparse that the only damage my telekinesis had done was throwing my zipped up backpack around, and there was nothing fragile inside of that.

Since I was up, I decided to try on the uniform S.H.I.E.L.D. had given me. It was very form fitting; they'd done well in guessing my size. As I looked myself over, I found myself wishing, not for the first time in my life, that I had inherited my mother's figure. She was a supermodel in her day, with curves to die for. My body, on the other hand, was slim and lanky, boyish rather than womanly. I couldn't do justice to tight fitting outfits like this one.

After changing back into my civilian clothing, I left my quarters and did a bit of solo exploration of the base, familiarizing myself with the new surroundings. My wanderings eventually took me to the bridge, where I found Nick Fury giving orders to the crew. The bridge was enormous and brimming with activity, with an excellent view outside from the huge central window.

"Did I miss anything?" I asked as I approached Fury, my gaze passing over the many computer screens that lined the bridge.

"Not at all," he replied, turning to give me his attention. "I've just been informed that Dr. Banner has landed and Captain America should be with us shortly. Please, have a seat. We're about to take off."

"Take off?" I asked curiously. "You mean…like into the air?"

"Into the air," Fury confirmed, turning away to speak to a dark-haired woman.

"Holy…" I breathed. "This _flies_? A flying carrier?"

Nobody was paying any attention to me. I took a seat at a circular table, as directed, but then something clicked with me and I hopped to my feet with widened eyes.

"Did you say _Captain America_?"

Fury gave me an all too familiar 'are you serious' look while the female agent smiled. I sat back down in wonderment and soon I heard the roar of the engines as the ship began the ascent from the ocean. I resisted the urge to run to the window for a better look; I'd acted like an excited schoolgirl enough for the day.

In walked a drop dead gorgeous red-haired woman a moment later, wearing a uniform similar to my own, though on her it looked much better. More than likely, she was Agent Romanoff. Following closely behind her was a tall, built man with blond hair, who I knew from old photographs to be Captain America. Another man slipped in with them, wearing a suit that looked like it had seen better days. He seemed especially uncomfortable, keeping out of the way. Finally, my teammates had arrived.

Fury returned and I stood, ready to do the whole meet and greet thing.

"Gentlemen," he called to the newcomers. "Captain, Dr. Banner, I think you've already been introduced. This," he gestured to me, "is Ms. Gallagher, a last minute addition to the team."

I lifted my hand in a halfhearted wave, smiling at the pair. "Pleased to meet you both."

Fury approached Banner and reached for a hand shake, thanking him for joining us. Strangely, Banner seemed quite reluctant to interact, but he took his hand after a moment. He nodded, his expression grim.

"Thanks for asking nicely," he said. "How long am I staying?"

While Fury and Banner discussed the doctor's plans for locating the Tesseract, I slowly edged over to the Captain's side. He was a good head and shoulders taller than me and had a very handsome, if serious, face. So far, on this super team, I had been paired with a genius and a national icon. The man beside me was a true hero, yet funnily enough, he looked just as uncomfortable and out of place as I felt.

"Do you go by Captain America all the time, or is there something less fancy I can call you?" I asked playfully. I already knew his name, having read up on him and his life years ago, but I thought that it might be better for him if I asked.

He glanced sidelong at me, then turned and extended his hand, which I shook. "Steve Rogers. And you're Ms. Gallagher? I don't believe I've heard anything about you yet."

I shrugged. "You wouldn't have. I'm small time compared to you guys, and a late addition on top of that. You can call me Haley."

"Haley, then. Pleasure to meet you. Do you have a codename?"

"Well, yes," I said slowly. I felt reluctant to reveal the now childish-seeming codename I'd chosen a few years ago during my vigilante days. "It's Legend."

"Oh," he said, and I caught the subtle look of disapproval before his expression turned neutral again. He paused, studying me, and seemed to be deliberating on whether or not to say something. Finally he came out with it. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but how old are you?"

I pursed my lips in annoyance; I'd wondered if this would come up. I hadn't expected it from Steve, though, as youthful as he looked. "Nineteen. How old are _you_, Captain?"

He frowned at the implied jab at his age. The man _was_ ancient if you judged by his birth date. "I didn't mean to offend you, Haley. It's just that I've been to war, and I've seen young people die meaningless deaths. It bothers me to see someone like you put on the front lines, facing something so dangerous."

Heat rose in my face and I fought back a biting remark. Such a response would only prove him right about my immaturity. Still, I couldn't leave it completely unanswered. It stung more deeply than I would have liked to admit that Captain America did not respect me as a team member.

"'Someone like me'?" I repeated irritably. "I'm young, I'll give you that, but I'm stronger than I look. You'll want me on your side when things get dangerous. I'm your ally now. Worry about more important things, okay?"

Rogers held up his hands apologetically. "Look, I'm sorry. Maybe I'm underestimating you. You'll soon have a chance to prove me wrong."

"The way I hear it, you proved a lot of people wrong when you went to war," I pointed out. I was trying my best to keep in mind that Steve Rogers was a man out of time. In his day, there were no women soldiers, and his thinking was apparently still a little stuck in the past.

"I did," he allowed. He looked at me, his gaze becoming uncertain. "I have to ask. How much of my life is common knowledge?"

"Not much," I assured him. This was clearly troubling him and I didn't want him to feel worse than he had to. "I only know as much as I do because I was pretty into superheroes a few years ago. You were the first, so naturally I did some research. Not everybody will know so much about you. You probably wouldn't even be recognized on the street."

"That agent seemed pretty knowledgeable," Rogers said, nodding his head in the direction of Coulson, who was standing near Fury. Coulson was already looking our way and he smiled, lifting his hand in a wave. Rogers appeared distinctly uncomfortable.

"Well, yeah, but he's harmless," I said. "If it makes you feel any better, S.H.I.E.L.D. knows everything about all of the Avengers. They've got files on each of us."

"…That doesn't make me feel any better, actually."

I chuckled. "Me either, I guess, but I find that there's something about not suffering alone that makes it easier to handle."

I decided to check on Fury and Banner then, knowing that I'd missed the bulk of their conversation. Fury was directing the red-haired woman as he said, "Agent Romanoff, can you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory?"

Romanoff nodded and lead the doctor out of the room. I glanced at Rogers; he and I apparently did not have much to offer the team until the Tesseract was located.

"Looks like we've got some free time. You up for a tour of this place?"

"Sure," he nodded. "Lead the way."


	5. Chapter 5

While I was certainly no expert on the helicarrier, I'd still been there a few hours longer than Steve, so I was able to give him a basic tour of the facility. Though he tried to hide it, it was clear that he felt overwhelmed by all of the equipment that kept the place running. The struggle to adapt to the 21st century was weighing pretty heavily on him, but he did his best not to let it show. The world had progressed by leaps and bounds since his day and the helicarrier was just another example of what must seem like extremely futuristic technology. Hell, even I found it to be pretty advanced.

I took the time to get to know him while we walked around together. He was an old-fashioned sort of guy and he always meant well, even if he didn't always come across that way. Eventually we parted ways so that he could get settled in his quarters. I wasn't done looking around yet and, having rested earlier, I wasn't tired, so I continued exploring.

The helicarrier was massive and I found myself wandering the corridors in awe. I wanted to know how everything worked, but unfortunately, the crew was busy keeping things running smoothly and had no time for my questions. A pity, but I learned a lot by simply using my eyes and ears.

Eventually, I found my way to Dr. Banner's lab. The room was surrounded by windows, leaving the man with no privacy while he worked. He looked up and acknowledged me with a wave as I walked by one of the windows, but I still knocked before entering the room, out of courtesy. He called me in.

"Hey, Dr. Banner," I said with a smile, looking around at the tech that filled the laboratory. They'd certainly set the guy up with everything he needed; the lab looked better equipped than any I'd seen at NYU, not that that was the best comparison. "Hope I'm not interrupting."

"Not at all. The computers are doing most of the work; I'm just waiting for some results. Have a seat."

I pulled out a swivel chair by one of the desks and sat down, observing the man. He seemed far less uncomfortable now, though I was getting the impression that my presence put him slightly on edge. I didn't take it personally. He seemed to always be on edge to some degree. I noticed that what few belongings he had brought with him had not yet been unpacked; he clearly did not intend to stay long and I wondered if he was even sacrificing rest to make the most of his hours. Dr. Banner fiddled with his shirt sleeves, rolling them up his forearms as he leaned against the desk opposite me.

"So we're teammates now," I said, clearing the silence before it could continue. "I was hoping we could talk. I'm a big fan of what you do."

"Really?" He raised a brow at me. "I hope you aren't talking about the big green guy."

"No, no," I assured him, the corners of my lips twitching into a smile. "Your research. I've enjoyed reading up on it. I almost went into the hard sciences myself, but I opted for psych instead. I still follow up on the newest published works, as a hobby," I paused. "But…the enormous property damages aside, the big green guy thing is kind of cool, too."

Dr. Banner smirked. He looked down and removed his glasses, retrieving a cloth from his pocket to wipe them down. "I appreciate that. In my travels, I don't often get to speak with people who are familiar with my work…and as far as the other guy goes, you might change your mind if you ever see him in person." He lifted his head to look at me. "I have to admit, I was unfamiliar with your story. I asked Agent Coulson to brief me on you."

"Oh?" I said curiously. I felt a peculiar sense of dread whenever I thought of the file S.H.I.E.L.D. had on me. "Did he say anything interesting?"

"Oh, yes," Banner said seriously. "You're a mutant among mutants, from what I hear. You manifested abilities twice and there's been some speculation about whether or not it might happen again."

"I hope not," I shuddered. "What a nightmare that would be."

"You wouldn't let the X-Men help you? I hear they were very interested. It's their area of expertise, after all."

I nodded, leaning into the desk beside me. "Yeah, I told them to stay away. They were nice enough about it the first time they came to see me. The second time, we almost had it out in the streets…it could've been pretty ugly, let me tell you."

"Hm," said Banner, frowning at me over his glasses. "Helping mutants is what they're all about. What was the logic in making an enemy of the X-Men? Are you sure that was wise?"

I chuckled darkly, my gaze falling to the floor as old memories came to the forefront of my mind. It wasn't something I usually chose to dwell upon. "No, it was probably very stupid. I wouldn't exactly say that we're enemies, but I made it very clear that they have to leave me alone." I paused, wetting my lips with my tongue. "They wanted to study me."

I glanced at Banner and he met my eyes. There was a brief flicker of understanding there before I interrupted the moment, saying, "Enough about me. What's this I hear about you wanting to vanish after you've found the Tesseract?"

"Considering the alternative, I'd say it's the best course of action. I think you might not appreciate the severity of the consequences if I stay here."

"You mean the Hulk making an appearance? Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm not exactly seeing the downside to having that kind of firepower working with us."

"Then you're not thinking it through," Banner said in exasperation. He abruptly turned to one of the computer screens to check on the progress, though I suspected that it was actually an excuse not to look at me. "Try to imagine the damage the other guy could do in close quarters. We're high up in the air with nowhere to run. You think I can keep him in check? I can't. He'd run amok; maybe bring this whole place down. He could hurt a lot of people."

I watched him carefully, noting the subtle signs of agitation in his body language. I wasn't concerned about bringing out the Hulk accidentally; the likelihood of that seemed low, whatever Banner might say. Even so, I didn't want to anger him. I couldn't let the subject drop just yet, though.

"It won't be like that," I said softly. "I know there have been some incidents…but from what I've seen on the news, the Hulk doesn't strike me as murderous, or evil, or anything like that. You could do a lot of good. And, hell, if it comes to it, Cap and I could probably knock you on your ass before it gets too bad."

Banner gave a humorless smirk. "I appreciate your confidence, but I wouldn't want to risk it."

"Alright," I conceded. Too much pressure could only do more harm than good. "Still, even if you won't fight alongside us, I really hope you decide to stay. After we find the Tesseract, we could still run into some snags getting things sorted out. We could use your help."

"I'll consider it. No promises, though."

"Fair enough," I said. "Hey…could you use a lab assistant? Until we get a lead on Loki, Cap and I have been next to useless around here. I promise I'll be helpful."

"Sure," said Banner. "How about we start with you getting us some coffee? I have a feeling this day is only going to get longer."

**Thank you to my reviewers! StarViky, Phoenixgrl15, MikiMouze16, you guys are awesome and I appreciate hearing from you.** **The next chapter should be up in the next few days. Thanks for reading, guys.  
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	6. Chapter 6

I was true to my word when I told Banner that I wouldn't be a hindrance in the lab, but after a few hours he started sending me on longer and longer errands away, so I took the hint that he wanted some space. The guy was a hardcore introvert and I could respect that.

I arrived on the bridge to find Coulson fanboying it up with Captain America. I decided not to interrupt them. Word around the helicarrier was that he'd been waiting for the opportunity to ask the Captain to sign some vintage cards, and who was I to ruin that special moment?

Leaning against the metal railing, I observed the crew at work trying to locate Loki. Standing there doing nothing, I felt particularly useless, but since Rogers was doing pretty much the same thing, I tried not to let it get to me. Finally, a man spoke up at one of the monitors.

"We've got a hit! A 67% match. No, wait. 79% match."

Coulson moved forward to peer at the screen. "Location?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. He's not exactly hiding."

Fury called from across the bridge.

"Captain, Gallagher, you're up."

A short time later, we were out on one of the jets and flying for Germany. Rogers was suited up in his uniform, a variation from the classic outfit that I'd seen in pictures. I wore my new S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. It was a bit stiff to move around in because I hadn't had the chance to break it in yet. I knew that it would still hold up better than jeans in a combat situation.

Natasha Romanoff, up in the co-pilot's seat, was quiet and seemed preoccupied throughout the journey. I'd heard a bit of gossip aboard the helicarrier that Natasha and the missing agent, Clint Barton, were something of an item, and I suspected that he was weighing heavily on her mind. Even if I knew her better, I wasn't sure what I might say. Barton was under the control of a dangerous man and the chances of resolving the issue peacefully were likely very low. She knew that as well as I did, no doubt.

My stomach was in knots all through the flight. I sat beside Rogers, who looked to be in a similar state. His expression was somber and we shared a stony silence for a time. It was a relief when at last he turned to me.

"How are you doing, Haley?" he asked, his blue eyes searching my face.

"I'm good," I told him, trying a smile if only just to keep Rogers from worrying about me. I wanted his respect, and though I might be feeling anxious, I wasn't truly concerned about what was coming. This was not my first time venturing into a risky situation, not by a long shot. I trusted in my ability to handle it.

"Good," he nodded. "When we get there, I want you to stay close and follow my lead. Whatever you do, don't engage the enemy on your own, all right?"

Since when did he become team leader? Not that it was a bad thing. He was, after all, Captain America. He had the experience and the abilities to back up his leadership. I went along with it.

"Fair enough, but what's your plan?"

He shook his head. "I don't have one, not yet. We don't know the situation so we'll have to improvise. And until I see you in action, I can't be sure how to use you. If you get any ideas, don't hesitate to tell me."

"Will do, Cap'n," I said, giving him a mock salute. That earned me a smirk.

Thankfully we made very good time; the jet must have hit light speed to get us to Germany so fast. Agent Romanoff landed the jet a block or so away from the target building, then took to the air again after Cap and I disembarked. He and I hoofed it toward the plaza where Loki was last sighted and I tried to stay on his heels, as he asked. However, being in much better shape, and aided by the super solider serum, Rogers quickly surpassed me on foot. I was there for support more than anything else, so I let him get ahead of me and just tried not to lag too far behind.

The sounds of screaming and panic met my ears as we drew closer, sending a chill down my spine. What was Loki up to? I wondered. The objective was to catch him and bring him in, but the hope was that we would be there in time to stop him before he did anything too terrible.

I was out of breath as I arrived on the outskirts of the scene. There in front of me, I saw hundreds of people on their knees, cowering in fear before a tall, intimidating man in an outlandish costume. Strangely enough, there seemed to be more than one Loki, with duplicates of him spaced around the plaza. They had to be illusions, but which one was real? Only one was speaking, so I could only assume that he was the real Loki. I looked around for Rogers, having lost sight of him.

Loki was giving a speech, his powerful voice projecting loudly enough over the silenced crowd that I was able to hear him clearly.

"Is this not your natural state?" he called out to the masses, his voice eerily calm, a smile on his lips. His tone even seemed friendly. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation."

Where the hell was Steve? His costume did not exactly lend itself to stealth; the opposite was true, as a matter of fact, but I wasn't seeing him anywhere. Finally I spotted him moving in cautiously. I followed his lead from another angle in order to get closer.

"The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled," Loki continued, still smiling. "In the end, you will always kneel."

An elderly man stood up amongst the crowd of kneeling people. My breath caught in my throat and I stopped in my tracks, knowing that I would never get to him in time on foot. The man was showing resistance and I watched as Loki lifted his staff to make an example of him. I had to stop him, but I didn't know the strength of Loki's power. There was no time to figure it out and no room for error. I lifted my hand, reaching out from a distance to create an invisible shield for the old man, hoping it would be strong enough - but it was unnecessary. Rogers jumped in in the nick of time with his famous shield, protecting him from the blast. I darted forward into the confusion of the crowd, getting shoved every which way by terrified civilians.

Natasha showed up with the jet and hovered from above. People were scattering to get out of the way as Rogers faced down Loki and Natasha directed him to stand down. It would never be that simple. Loki sent a blast at the jet, causing Natasha to veer off while Rogers engaged Loki.

I moved in as the battle began. It got off to a poor start as Loki gained the upper hand, forcing Rogers into a kneel with his staff pointed directly at the famous hero's head. I shot out my hand, creating a telekinetic burst between them that violently separated them, sending them both flying back several yards.

Rogers recovered faster and was on Loki again in seconds. Loki struck Rogers with enough force to knock him off his feet and I dashed in between them, throwing a telekinetically powered punch at his stomach that sent him reeling. Before he could retaliate, the fight was interrupted. Both the heroes and the villain paused to look around as loud music flooded the PA system. Craning my neck around, I saw a shape speeding through the sky toward us.

Preceded by the music, Iron Man made his dramatic entrance by firing off a powerful blast directly into Loki's chest, sending the Asgardian flying painfully into the steps behind him. Iron Man landed in front of him and Rogers and I approached while he was down.

"Make your move, reindeer games," Stark challenged, his guns targeting the man.

I peered into the face of the enemy, getting a good look for the first time. He had dark hair to his shoulders, pale skin, and bright green eyes that were both intense and calculating, while hinting at the madness that lay behind them. He looked at each of us in turn, considering his options. I shivered when his gaze met mine, but it didn't linger there long. Then, before our eyes, his form changed from the fantastical costume to more ordinary clothing. He slowly raised his hands in surrender.

"Good move," Stark commented lightly.

"Mr. Stark," Rogers greeted him, not taking his eyes off of Loki as Natasha brought in the jet.

"Cap'n," Stark replied. He glanced at me, taking in the S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform. "And…Agent?"

"No, no," I couldn't help but grin at that idea as I shook my head. "I'm the Avengers' token mutant."

"Right," he said. With his helmet on, I couldn't see his face, but I heard the smirk in his voice. "Let's get our charming new friend onto the jet."

**Another thank you to StarViky for reviewing! :) Please let me know what you think, guys, and thanks again for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

Black Widow landed the jet nearby. Loki received an escort on board by Rogers, Tony Stark, and myself, though our presence felt like overkill. Loki went along quietly as could be, and once on board, he took a seat without complaint. He seemed a touch agitated, but for the most part he was eerily calm. Something about him almost suggested that he was biding his time. I didn't like the thought of that.

I sat down opposite Loki, resolving to watch for any changes in his behavior that would suggest trouble. Through my studies in the field of psychology, I'd come to think that I was good at noticing the warning signs in unbalanced individuals, but of course Loki was a whole new ballgame. I had to remind myself that he was, in fact, not from Earth. To look at him would suggest otherwise, of course. By all appearances, he looked human, if a highly eccentric human.

Steve and Tony remained standing as the jet took off, both of them eyeing the villain with deep suspicion. Loki, meanwhile, seemed to be ignoring them and determinedly avoiding eye contact.

"So," said Tony, breaking the silence abruptly as it approached awkward territory. "I know Agent Romanoff and I know Cap, but I don't know the junior agent over there," he gestured at me with his thumb. "What are you, anyway? Twelve?"

"Nineteen," I replied evenly. I was having a hard enough time gaining respect on the team without comments like that flying around. "My name's Haley and like I said before, I'm not an agent. I'm a mutant. I don't think S.H.I.E.L.D. normally wants much to do with my kind. Especially not enough to make me an agent."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't want much to do with me, either. Something about having narcissistic tendencies."

"My report actually said 'textbook narcissist,' Tony," Natasha chimed in helpfully from the cockpit.

"Well, there you go," Tony said, smirking. "Yet here I am. S.H.I.E.L.D. called me in after all. That's how you know they've gotten desperate. So what exactly do you do?"

I looked back at Loki, checking to see if he'd done anything new while my attention was diverted. He was still sitting calmly, apparently pretending that he was not there with us.

"I'm a telekinetic with regenerative capabilities," I said, my gaze shifting back over to Tony. "It's not a super-powered suit, but it gets the job done."

"Well, we can't all be genius billionaires with access to weapon technology, can we?" he said. His expression was neutral but his tone was teasing; was he never serious? I was starting to understand why my mother had detested that quality in me.

Stark glanced at Rogers. He'd been staring at Loki during our exchange. "Something bothering you, Cap?"

Rogers faced away from the villain, his eyes catching Tony's as he replied, "I don't like this."

"What? You think he gave up too easy?" Tony asked.

"I don't remember it being this easy. This guy packs a wallop."

Tony nodded. "Still, you are pretty spry…for an older fella. What's your thing, pilates?"

"What?"

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple of things. You know, while you were doing time as a cap-sicle."

I coughed, narrowly avoiding the laugh that had threatened to spill out. Loki looked up suddenly, catching my eye. He said nothing.

Rogers was saying, "Fury didn't tell me he was calling you in."

"Yeah, there's a lot of things Fury doesn't tell you," Tony said, and for once I did not detect any humor in his tone.

A flash of lightning outside the cockpit caught my attention. Only a moment earlier, the night sky had been clear save for some clouds and there had been no hints of a storm approaching, at least as far as I could tell.

Unsettled, I glanced at Loki, noting that he seemed especially concerned. He was looking around and upward, his expression uneasy.

Rogers was apparently not worried at all. "What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" he taunted.

"It's a little close for comfort, don't you think?" I muttered.

Loki was still gazing upwards, but he spared the two heroes a glance. "I'm not overly fond of what follows."

Rogers and Tony exchanged a look and my anxiety level went up a little bit higher.

It was then that something hit the roof of the jet with great force. As we all looked around in alarm, Tony wasted no time and put on his helmet before hitting the switch for the rear hatch. He strode over to the ramp just in time to meet the man who had hitched a ride on our vehicle.

The hitchhiker was tall, very built, with a costume just as bizarre as Loki's and similar in design. He moved fast, bashing Tony with his hammer so hard that he was sent crashing into the floor. Then the man charged forward, snagged Loki by the throat and jumped out of the jet, all in the span of a few seconds.

No wonder Loki had been so anxious.

Tony stood up and looked out after the disappearing forms. "Now there's that guy."

"What in the - …did our captive just get kidnapped?" I asked in disbelief.

Natasha leaned around in her seat. "Another Asgardian?"

Rogers started suiting up. He pulled on his mask and looked back at us. "Think he's a friendly?"

"Doesn't matter," Tony said grimly, moving toward the ramp. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract is lost."

"Stark!" Rogers shouted after Tony. "We need a plan of attack."

Tony kept on walking without looking back, only stopping to call over his shoulder, "I have a plan. Attack!" before he flew out in pursuit of the Asgardians.

Rogers shook his head in exasperation as he grabbed a parachute. It was the only one in sight, which left me with two options, the second of which was quite dangerous. Was I willing to take the risk? I deliberated as Natasha peered back at us again. "I'd sit this one out, guys."

"I don't see how I can," Rogers answered as he buckled into the chute. He spoke to me as he slipped into team leader mode, as was his apparent default. "I think we've got this covered, Haley."

I wasn't having that. "Listen, if you wear the parachute and I hold onto you, I can guide our landing and -"

Rogers pointed at me, looking stern. "Stay put."

"You can't be serious -" I started, frustrated, but was cut off by Natasha.

"Cap, these guys come from legend, they're basically gods," she insisted.

Rogers shook his head. "There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." With those parting words, he jumped out.

The orders Rogers had given me were irritating, to say the least. I decided not to follow them and that meant trying out a risky idea. Stepping over to the ramp, I called to Natasha, "For the record, they're more like aliens." Then I leaped from the jet and out into the night air.

The storm was in full-swing with lightning flashing all around and thunder booming, the sound almost deafening in its nearness. The wind roared in my ears as I free fell through the sky, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I tried to rearrange my body to a more landing-friendly position, but maneuvering around in midair proved difficult. It looked so easy on TV!

The clouds were so thick that I completely lost sight of Rogers, and spotting Stark would probably take some kind of miracle. I put that out of my mind and tried to calm down, focusing instead on slowing my descent, though I still heard myself screaming, "oh my god oh my god!" on repeat. I was deeply regretting not practicing this stunt from a lower height first, but it was too late now to do anything but make it work.

After about ten more seconds of flailing around, screaming and twisting in the air, I felt the resistance start to kick in. My body was no longer careening at nightmarish speeds, at the mercy of gravity. The familiar touch of my powers surrounded my form and I could feel it working. I was slowing down. If only I could speed up the process, I would be able to actually fly through the sky like Iron Man. The idea caused me to grin like an idiot.

The ground was speeding up toward me at what was still an alarming rate. From my vantage point, I saw what looked like a massive fight happening in the woods to my far left. There was one still form on a higher rocky ledge near them. I tried to adjust the angle of my fall.

"Come on, hurry up!" I pleaded, waving my arms in a wild attempt to regain some height. I felt an abrupt pull on my body that dramatically slowed my descent. I was twenty feet from the ground, fifteen feet, ten, and then -

_Crack_. The sound of a bone snapping in my ankle. I toppled over after losing my footing and almost face planted on the forest floor, barely preventing it when my arms shot out to catch me. I received a rather nasty gash on my forearm from striking a jagged stone, but the shock of the fall was dulling my pain. I pushed myself up to a sitting position, examining the ankle first.

I cringed as I untied my boot and slowly, delicately, pulled it off my foot. I saw the blood first and a quick glance revealed the source. A compound fracture; the bone had gone through the skin. A grotesque sight, to be sure. My stomach turned. "Oh, dear God," I murmured.

"Indeed," said a voice.

I snapped my head up to see Loki sitting nearby. Bathed in moonlight, his skin looked waxy and paler than usual. The dark circles beneath his eyes stood out more prominently, effectively making him look even more sickly. He was watching me with great interest. I eyed him warily, wondering if he was going to try anything, but he had his opportunity while I was preoccupied with my injured ankle. It seemed highly unlikely that he would start something now. I hoped he wouldn't, anyway. He had me at a distinct disadvantage.

"I'm impressed," he said. "I did not think a human capable of surviving such a fall, though admittedly you did it with a complete lack of grace."

"If I thought I'd have an audience, I would have tried for some flips," I said dryly.

"Was it necessary to flail about so, as though you were an infant bird ejected too early from her nest? If it is within your power to fly, it should be as effortless as breathing. It appears to me that you are holding something back. You are not tapping into your full strength."

"Unsolicited feedback. Wonderful. Just what I needed."

I gritted my teeth as a fresh wave of pain flooded through me. I grasped my ankle suddenly, shoving the bone back under the skin. Gasping, I turned my face down into my arm and bit back a scream.

"That ankle will be useless now. Ah, but you heal, don't you? How long will it take?" Loki leaned forward, a wicked glint in his eyes. "You would make an easy hostage."

"You think so?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as my ankle throbbed. Every beat of my heart renewed the ache, setting my nerve endings on fire. "I'd have you immobile before you got close. Even if that wasn't the case…I don't think you're going to harm me, Loki."

"No? I have every reason. You may have noticed that I am being hunted."

"You are," I agreed, in a measured tone. "But I only have to look at you to know the truth. There are four people within one hundred yards of here who all want you captured, or, hell, killed, I don't know what this new guy is after. Yet you're sitting here, like a good boy, waiting for them to come back and collect you."

Loki smiled, but I saw signs of his temper flaring. He did not like being talked to this way, I knew. Surprisingly, he kept himself in check. "You're not as stupid as you look," he said softly. "But you are afraid, little girl. Of me or something else, I do not know."

I didn't respond and Loki fell silent. We both turned to watch the battle below as a loud _clan_g reverberated through the woods. The ensuing shockwave created a crater the size of a house, leaving three bodies scattered within. Stark rose first, followed by Rogers and the newcomer. All looked a little worse for the wear, but for the most part they seemed undamaged.

"And so Midgard's brave heroes fight amongst themselves," Loki said, wearing an amused grin.

"I'm a hero and I'm not fighting them," I pointed out stubbornly.

He looked back and studied me with those keen eyes of his.

"No," he agreed finally, giving me a smile that sent a chill down my spine. "Not yet."

Disturbed, I opened my mouth to question him, but was interrupted as Stark joined us on the ledge, having flown over before the others could catch up. He glanced at Loki.

"I see you didn't make it very far. Did the kid here give you that much trouble?"

Loki fixed him with a withering look.

I stood and tested my ankle, which seemed to hold up alright. The bone had mended successfully. Walking to the ledge, I waved at Rogers who was walking alongside Loki's attacker to meet up with us. My gaze shifted to Stark questioningly.

"Alright, who's that guy?"

It was Loki that answered.

"He is Thor Odinson. You would know him as the god of thunder. My brother," he said, that last bit laced with disdain.

Seriously? Thor? I supposed that I should not be so surprised. The file on Loki had mentioned Thor and the incident that took place on their last visit to Earth. It was still very odd to think about him being there. Having one figure from Norse mythology was strange enough.

"He's our new teammate," Stark added. "So cheer up, kiddo. You're not the newbie anymore."

I turned back to watch the approach of our companions. A minute later, Rogers and Thor walked up the slope and joined us.

Rogers frowned upon seeing me. "I thought I told you to stay put."

"It's lucky that I didn't. Somebody had to keep an eye on Loki while you guys were butting heads."

Rogers' frown deepened, but I was still too annoyed with him to feel guilty about the jab. I turned to Thor.

"My lady," he greeted. His voice had a unique, proud quality to it. "I am Thor, son of Odin -"

"- god of thunder," I finished, and extended my hand. "Yeah, your delinquent brother filled me in. My name is Haley. Daughter of…well, Anya, I guess. I - whoa.."

Thor had taken my hand and lifted it to his lips, placing a kiss upon my knuckles. I stared at him, paying close attention for the first time. In the flurry of activity that surrounded his bold entrance aboard the jet, I had not noticed how beautiful he was. I saw it now.

He grinned a little too knowingly. I got the distinct impression that he knew what kind of effect he had on women. "It is good to meet you, daughter of Anya."

"Likewise," I breathed.

Stark forced a cough and I glanced his way, taking my hand back a little too fast. I sauntered toward Loki and hoped that the night's darkness concealed my blush.

At that point, Stark called Agent Romanoff and she narrowed in on our location. We were picked up in no time and back on our way to the helicarrier.

**Hey guys! Thanks to ConfusedSoAmI, Neverland Child, Shellspectacular, AnimeDivaGoddess and WolfDarkfur for reviewing. Your feedback keeps me motivated. I hope you're enjoying the story! More updates will be coming very soon, I promise.**


	8. Chapter 8

When we arrived back at the helicarrier, Loki was taken away by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to be detained in a cell. Apparently the cell in question was supposed to be pretty extreme; Loki had little chance of getting out of there without help.

Agent Romanoff, Rogers, Thor, Banner and I all gathered at the round table in the helicarrier's main bridge. There we got to witness, on screen, Fury and Loki's conversation as the Asgardian was locked away. Loki was power tripping and seemed pretty overconfident, given his situation. Fury, being the badass that he was, remained unimpressed. He left Loki to his own devices and the team looked around at each other.

"He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Banner quipped.

The team discussed the matter, and for the first time we felt like a cohesive group all working toward the same goal. Thor had the most information and he informed us about the Chitauri, an unknown race that made up the army Loki meant to use to conquer Earth. Banner deduced that Loki must be building another portal in order to bring the Chitauri to him, and that was why he had kidnapped/brainwashed the scientist, Selvig.

Rogers expressed the same concern that I had been carrying, about how Loki had allowed us to bring him in so easily. It was highly suspicious and it would eat away at the back of my mind so long as his motives remained unrevealed.

Banner brushed off these concerns, however, insisting that Loki was too crazy to waste our thoughts on. This comment angered Thor, who, despite everything, still cared for his brother, and from there the discussion devolved into an argument for the next few minutes. So much for teamwork. I listened quietly while I pondered the situation.

Eventually, Stark deigned to join us, accompanied by Coulson. He and Banner began talking science to such an advanced level that it went well over my head, not to mention that of everybody else present. The two geniuses soon decided to go back to Banner's lab together, after Fury's urging that Stark should help track the Tesseract. They seemed as excited as a married couple on their honeymoon at the prospect of doing science together. After they left, the team began to disperse.

As it was already very late, I decided I might as well go and rest in my quarters. Banner had a new lab assistant, after all, and until they had a breakthrough, the rest of the team was next to useless.

I arrived back at my room a short time later and as I did, I noticed Agent Turner walking in the opposite direction. He looked preoccupied and seemed to be on his way somewhere, but he was one of the few aboard the helicarrier that I knew, so I waved him over. His expression turned sour.

"Hey, it's my main man, Turner," I said cheerfully, amused when I noticed how annoyed he was to see me.

"Yes, what is it?" he demanded, scowling.

Playfully, I raised my eyebrows at him. "Whoa, you look tense. Did somebody pee in your cheerios this morning?"

I couldn't see his eyes behind the sunglasses, but I noticed his jaw clenching. This guy was apparently perpetually irritated. How fun. I couldn't resist the urge to tease him.

"What exactly do you need?" he asked bluntly.

I put on a sad look. "Aw, I'm hurt. Can't a girl just say hello to her agent friend? Well, as it happens, I was hoping to get some food. Maybe Fury didn't tell you, but you're on food duty, so you up for fetching me some pizza or something? Extra cheese."

Turner stared at me amidst a tense silence. I wondered if I had pushed him too far and expected that he might just leave. Then he scoffed. "You Starks are all the same."

I smirked. "You're mixing up your superheroes, buddy. I'm Gallagher. Gal-la-gher. Should we start wearing name tags for you? Stark's the one with the moustache…and don't you even think of insinuating that I've got one, because-"

"Fury didn't tell you?" Turner cut me off, smiling. It was a terrible sight, completely joyless yet smug.

"Didn't tell me what?"

It was clear that he was enjoying this. His whole demeanor changed. He folded his arms, taking on a superior air. "We found out while going through your medical records and the files on the others. You're Tony Stark's bastard daughter."

'Did he just say…?' I wondered, uncomprehending.

After a few long seconds, I finally managed to form some words. "…Are you kidding me?"

"No." For once, Turner couldn't stop smiling. Oh, how he must be relishing this. "We double-checked our findings. You're a Stark, with all of the arrogance and none of the riches. Fury must not have thought it worth mentioning…"

I stared at him, dumbfounded, trying desperately to get my brain working again after having such a massive bomb dropped on me. Then I was overcome with the urge to knock that stupid smug smile off of Turner's face.

The agent was suddenly slammed against the corridor wall behind him and held in place by my thoughts alone, feet dangling a foot off the ground. I stepped closer.

"Are you lying to me?" I asked forcefully, putting more pressure on him. "It isn't funny."

"It's true," he said, sounding strained. I relaxed the pressure on his throat so that he would be able to speak more clearly.

My eyes narrowed when a terrible thought occurred to me. "Is that why I'm here? S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to use me to influence Stark in some way?"

"No!" He said sharply. "No, finding out was an accident, after you were put on the list-"

I released my hold, letting him drop to the floor. Feelings of shame flooded through me when I realized what I'd done, but they were not enough to fully dull my anger.

"Does he know?" I demanded. "Stark. Does he know?"

Turner shook his head, getting back to his feet slowly, warily. He adjusted his sunglasses, which had gone slightly askew. "If Fury hasn't told you, he hasn't told him, either. You were the one he was going to inform."

"Yeah, and when was he going to get around to that, I wonder?" I asked bitterly. I didn't wait for an answer, instead turning and stalking off down the corridor, my mind a chaotic mess of racing thoughts.

What I needed most right now was some space, and time to breathe. Unfortunately, I was high up in the sky in a series of claustrophobic hallways with hundreds of other people nearby. Returning to my quarters was no longer an option; I was far too riled up to rest.

I briefly considered tracking down Fury and insisting on answers right then and there. Instead, I decided that I would go and visit Dr. Banner's lab, where I knew I would find Tony Stark. Somehow, I knew that it would help to go and observe the man with a new perspective.

As I moved through the corridor, I turned a corner and walked smack into the broad, muscular chest of Thor. I rebounded and he reached out to catch my arm, preventing my fall. I regained my balance and looked up at him blankly while trying to clear my head enough for speech. "Oh, hi," I said lamely.

"Daughter of Anya," Thor said warmly, releasing my arm. "How are you faring?"

"I'm…surviving," I replied uncertainly. The encounter with the god was unexpected and badly timed. I couldn't think of a way out of it without being exceptionally rude, so I decided to go with it. Hell, it might even get my mind back on task. I composed myself and tried to focus on the conversation at hand. "How about yourself? All of this can't be easy for you. I mean, this is your brother we've captured."

"It is trying," Thor admitted. "But I believe that he may yet have a change of heart. I regret that this team does not know him as I do."

"We could use your insight, Thor."

He nodded solemnly. "Walk with me. I am on my way to meet with your Director Fury."

I fell into step beside him as we began to move through the corridors. There was something calming about his presence. It was like he gave off an aura of calm. While I was by no means back to normal, I no longer felt like I might have a total meltdown. He continued: "I am glad to offer any information that might prove useful. Loki was not always the fiend he appears to be today. He was my friend as well as my brother."

"Really? I mean, he was known on Earth as the trickster god, right?"

Thor glanced at me as he considered the question. In his eyes, I saw not an all-powerful deity, but a man concerned for a loved one. His voice reflected the same tender quality. "Yes, but he was never malicious. He has changed in recent times, but he will see sense."

I nodded, but deep down inside, I had doubts. As much as it pained me to admit it, I had to wonder if Thor might be too close to Loki to see the truth of the situation; that his brother had lost his mind. I'd been in his shoes once before, though on a much smaller scale, and I knew that he'd have to come to terms with what had happened on his own time.

Our path had taken us close to Banner's lab. I reached out and touched Thor's arm gently. "If you think of anything that might help, be sure to let somebody know, okay?"

"I shall," Thor promised, and we parted ways.

**Hey guys. I would like to apologize for the extreme delay in chapter updates. My excuse is that my computer died on me and I had the whole story typed and stored on it. Getting the motivation to write everything all over again took a while. I'm still very sorry for taking so long and I appreciate everybody who has maintained their interest. A big thank you to you all, and thanks for the reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

I slipped into the lab silently, catching the middle of a conversation between Stark and Banner. Without interrupting, I hopped up to sit on an unused desk.

"I promise a stress free environment, no surprises," Stark was saying as he walked by Banner. Abruptly, he jabbed Banner in the side with something sharp.

Banner flinched in response and Stark leaned in close to stare intently at the man.

"Hey!"

I looked around as Rogers strode in from behind me, looking deeply annoyed.

"Are you nuts?" He asked angrily.

"Jury's out." Stark stepped away, looking rather impressed with Banner. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, a huge bag of weed?"

Rogers was getting more angry by the minute. "Is everything a joke to you?"

"Funny things are."

"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny! No offense, Doc."

Banner cut in, "It's alright. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things."

Stark finally noticed my presence. He gestured at me. "Ah, there you are, Hales. I've done my homework on you. Codename: Legend, is that right? Doesn't that seem a little narcissistic?"

Rogers rolled his eyes. "That's a bit rich coming from you, Mr. Stark."

Stark waved that off. "I'm a genius billionaire. I'm supposed to be arrogant. Now, about your powers. Telekinesis _and_ healing? You seem to have all your bases covered."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"These things tend to follow a certain pattern. Mutants with psionic powers tend to be weak to physical attacks. On the other side of the spectrum, mutants with more physical powers are weak to psionic attacks. And then there's you, with both sides taken care of."

"Oh, right. Yeah," I said, shrugging. "The X-Men said something about that."

"What's your weakness? We've all got at least one."

"Well-" I began, but I was cut off by Steve.

"You need to focus on the real problems, Mr. Stark."

"You think I'm not?" Stark asked, turning back to the Captain. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."

"You think Fury's hiding something?" Rogers asked.

"More than one thing," I added bitterly.

That comment earned me a questioning look before Rogers and Stark began a back and forth on the matter of whether or not Fury was hiding something, and then whether or not we should worry about it. The pair had apparently developed an instant dislike for each other and I assumed it was because they were both natural leaders. At any rate, they were inclined to argue with each other even when they were on the same side. Rogers seemed to think that even if we didn't have all of the information, we should do as we're told, and that didn't go over so well with the scientists in the room.

Banner seemed extremely reluctant to join the conversation. He clearly wanted to finish his work and then get out of dodge. Finally, though, he had to admit that Loki's comments had been bothering him. How he pointed out Stark's dabblings in the energy business, something S.H.I.E.L.D should have made use of while working with the Tesseract. I had to admit, he made a good point and S.H.I.E.L.D. was looking pretty suspicious.

My gaze continuously drifted back to Stark during the discussion. Now that I was paying attention, he was much more interesting to observe. He was intelligent and quick-witted, and that was something I could admire. He was sometimes obnoxious, rarely taking anything seriously, but if I was honest with myself, I knew that I had been accused of the same trait on occasion.

Physically, I did not look much like him. His hair was dark and mine was light, and facially I looked more like my mother, but it seemed that I had his brown eyes. His skin tone was not unlike my own. Yes, the more I looked, the more I saw the similarities.

I couldn't pretend to be an expert on Tony Stark, but he was famous, so I knew enough to know that he very easily could have had a relationship with my mother. The man was infamous for being a womanizer, always showing up in the tabloids with some new beautiful woman. Mom had been a very successful model living in LA and probably would have been frequenting the same party scene as Stark. I wondered if he would remember her, but I quickly came to the conclusion that he most likely would not. No doubt I was the product of a brief encounter.

Fury had opted not to share the truth of our relation. Unless that changed, and he told him about it, then Stark would not learn the truth unless I told him. That led me to my current dilemma: to tell him, or not to tell him.

If I told him, how would that conversation go? 'Hi, I'm not only your teammate but also your long lost daughter. We're facing a world crisis that deserves your full attention, but I thought I might sideswipe you with some emotional whiplash.' Yeah. Awesome.

On top of that, he would probably assume I wanted money. It wasn't true, but why should he believe me? And what would he want with a grown up daughter who he'd had no knowledge of previously? I had spent years wishing for a father while he never knew he had a kid to miss. Maybe he was happier without kids. Many times as a child, I had envisioned a perfect reunion with my absent father. It was unfair, and unrealistic, to hope for anything that positive with Tony.

No, I wouldn't tell him. At least, not yet. Maybe I would when all of the S.H.I.E.L.D. business was wrapped up and real life resumed.

When I finally zoned back in to the conversation, the argument was wrapping up.

Banner was saying, "Steve? Tell me none of this smells a little funky to you?"

Rogers looked torn and unsure. "Just find the cube," he said, and left.

"That's the guy my dad never shuts up about?" Stark asked, as soon as Rogers was gone.

"Cap means well, you know," I put in, hopping down from the desk I was sitting on. "I mean, in this case I don't think we should trust S.H.I.E.L.D., but it's not a fault that he gives people the benefit of doubt."

"Like I said, it's all going to come out once Jarvis finishes running the decryption program."

"Decryption program?" I asked uncertainly.

"Were you asleep for that? You looked a little glassy-eyed. Yes, I'm breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D's secure files, unraveling all their secrets. Should make for an interesting read."

He was right, I _had_ missed that bit of information. I felt my chest tighten as anxiety took hold. "_All_ of their secrets?"

"Yep. They want us on their side, I say we need all of the information we can get."

"Right, right. Good plan," I said vaguely, feeling faint. This was absolutely terrible. "Let me know what you find, okay? I'll check in with you guys in a little while."

"You do that," Stark smirked, and turned back to Banner and their work. I left the lab, my mind feeling even foggier than it had before.

I fully understood why Fury hadn't told me about Stark. The information was doing me no good at all, and it was keeping me from the focusing on what really mattered: the mission at hand. It confused things. I was no less angry about the situation, however. At least Stark could be spared this madness, but I had no idea how long even that would last. I had to get my mind back on track before things got any worse.

Restless, I made a spur of the moment decision regarding my next move, and headed off down a new corridor that would take me to a secure section of the helicarrier.

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad I managed to surprise with the reveal in the last chapter. Tony is still in the dark, but he won't be forever. Anyway, Happy New Year everybody! Hope you all enjoyed the holidays. **


	10. Chapter 10

I found my way to Loki's holding cell without needing any directions. He was unguarded; I assumed that the cell must be secure enough that he didn't require any agents close by. It did look quite sturdy. I recalled Fury's speech about how the cell could be simply dropped out of the sky, if the need arose. That was pretty hardcore, but the guy was a terrorist. At any rate, being in Loki's presence was perfect; it made it impossible to focus on my personal problems.

The god of lies had his back facing me when I walked in. He turned when he heard my approach.

"Ah. The little hero returns," he said, smiling. "What brings you to my prison? I must admit, I did not expect this visit."

"You didn't see me coming? I get the impression that you've predicted almost everything else so far," I frowned, stepping up closer to the glass. I decided to be honest. "Frankly, I'm here because I'm out of ideas."

Loki stepped closer as well. The man really did have an eerie look to him, though I suspected his skin was not always so pale. He seemed strained, as though his mission was wearing on him more than any of us.

"You seem troubled," he noted, drawing me back from my thoughts. "Are my plans keeping you up at night? The Tesseract out of reach, with no hope of finding it in time-"

"Oh, we'll find it," I said, rolling my eyes. "You're being a nuisance, but don't think that that means you've won. There is one thing that's bothering me, though: you let yourself get caught."

"Did I really?" Loki asked, his eyes alight with mischief. "And why would I do that?"

"I don't know, but I'd rather we not find out the hard way."

I had a feeling we would be doing just that, though. Loki wasn't just going to offer up the information. Hopefully the fallout wouldn't be too bad and we would at least find the Tesseract quickly.

"Something else troubles you," Loki said, watching me. "I'm flattered that you come to me in your time of need, but I'm afraid there's nothing I can do while inside this cage."

"I'm not letting you out," I smirked. "You must think I'm completely stupid."

"On the contrary, I think you're actually quite clever. I've seen you, Haley," his voice was a caress as it formed my name. "You claim that I've pulled my punches, that I've allowed my capture, but what about you? You weaken yourself."

"I don't-"

"Don't deny it," he snapped, his temper flaring, before he softened his expression again. "You knowingly limit your own power. You refuse to let loose and reach your potential. Why? I wondered. It's clear to me now. You are afraid. I thought before that it was me you feared, but it's yourself, Haley Gallagher. "

I didn't know what to say to that. Loki smirked as he continued, "You come to see me because you relate. You have great power and you fear it, because deep down you love that it makes you unique. The power is intoxicating; it elevates you above the ignorant, weak masses that surround you. You could crush them like insects and you would love it. That is what you fear, your own true nature. That is why you seek to weaken yourself and control it. It is a terrible waste. With your power, you could be magnificent, on par with the gods."

Without realizing it, I had been leaning closer to the glass, mimicking Loki's own movements until we were a mere foot apart. I drew back suddenly. He smiled knowingly.

Crossing my arms, I narrowed my eyes on Loki. "Don't pretend that I impress you. Those insects you mentioned? Yeah, I haven't forgotten that we're all ants to you. Ants to be ruled, or squashed, whichever strikes your fancy."

"Not all of you," he said softly. "Some will be worthy. Some could rise high under my reign. You are among those few, Haley."

The way he said my name was so intimate, his words so…gentle, compared to his usual manner. It was almost seductive. He had to be playing me. I knew that, yet I was responding to it anyway. I wondered if his magic included manipulation.

Whatever it was, being in his presence was dangerous. I drew back further from the cell and saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.

"You would kill me in a second if it suited you," I told him, willing my brain to ignore the signals Loki was sending off.

"I had that opportunity. I didn't use it."

I shook my head, trying to clear it of the confusion he was stirring up. "You're playing a game, Loki. I don't know what it is yet, but I'm going to look into it."

"By all means," he said, smiling.

I turned and stalked out, rounding the corner. As soon as I was out of his sight, I felt strangely light; his presence was powerful indeed.

To my surprise, I came face to face with Natasha Romanoff, who looked just as confused to see me as I was to see her.

"Were you in talking with Loki?" She asked, brow furrowed.

"Yeah, I was," I said slowly, trying to gauge from her reaction whether or not my answer was acceptable.

Her face was unreadable, a blank slate. "Are you going to tell me why?"

"I was…bored?" I replied lamely. But then I noticed something. "Hey, you're heading that way. Why are _you_ going to see Loki?"

"I'm going to see what I can get out of him." She regarded me critically. "Give this place a wide berth in the future, all right?"

"Gladly," I said, and moved along past her.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I know you're waiting to see Tony's reaction, and I promise that it will come. It's going to be dramatic! Anyway, thank you all for reading and reviewing.**


	11. Chapter 11

Loki had all but confirmed that he wanted to be on the helicarrier. The question was: why? What did he stand to gain? There was no way to guess, so I was back to the drawing board for ideas. I wouldn't have minded if the stakes weren't so high; the puzzle gave me a purpose, something to focus on. However, with the current state of things, the pressure was on to figure out his intentions.

My first thought was to track down Thor again. Thor, as Loki's brother, would probably have the most insight into his character. Earlier, he'd seemed reluctant to speak much on Loki, except to give a few positive sentiments. If he knew anything of use, he probably would have done something by now, but I had to start somewhere.

I started searching, asking around the crew to find out if anybody had seen him. Nobody had, at least not recently, which left me with no leads. He didn't seem the type to go off on his own, though, so the odds of running into him were probably high.

My search had taken me close to Banner's lab. I saw Natasha up ahead, heading in that direction, with Thor at her side. I picked up my pace to catch up with them.

"Hey, I was looking for you," I said, falling into step beside the tall blond. "Your brother-"

"Now's not the time," Natasha cut in. "Loki's plan is going to involve Dr. Banner. We've got to get to him in time. Did he say anything about that to you?"

"No," I said in surprise. "Lead on."

"We will talk later," Thor assured me.

As a group, we moved at a brisk pace and entered the laboratory together, only to find Fury, Banner, Rogers, and Stark already gathered there, in the middle of an argument that was rapidly heating up.

"Did you know about this?" Banner asked Natasha, looking agitated. He nodded at a computer screen, which was showing what looked like some kind of missile.

Natasha eyed him cautiously. "You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?"

Banner seemed upset, but not out of control. I didn't want to take sides so I moved away from Natasha and ended up sidling next to Stark. Ah, wonderful.

"So, this was the secret you gleaned from your scans?" I asked. "Weapons of mass destruction?"

It was a pretty big reveal. I hoped it would be enough to satiate his curiosity and keep him busy.

Tony glanced at me, his attention reserved mostly for the argument around us. "Yeah, that's the big one. There's more, though. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s had its fingers in everything. Jarvis is going to continue the scans until we've got it all."

Inwardly, I cursed. My next words were careful; I didn't want to seem too suspicious. "Do you really want to know everything, though? I mean, too many secrets might make your head explode, and some things were meant to be buried."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "If they were hiding this, I think I'd like to know anything else they've hidden. It's a bad sign if there ever was one."

Well, damn.

I left his side and found Thor, who was looking annoyed after Fury had accused him being the reason S.H.I.E.L.D. had looked into weapon building. Fury had a decent point, but Thor was insistent that his people wanted peace between the worlds. He barely noticed me until I nudged his rather muscular arm.

"So, about Loki," I said. "I have more questions."

Thor seemed a little exasperated. I couldn't blame him; it was awkward timing. We were running out of time, though, and everybody seemed intent on arguing.

"He's skinny. You're all…muscley and strong."

"That is hardly a question."

"Right, but is he actually weaker, or can he go toe to toe with you?"

Thor scoffed. "Loki is no match for me."

"None at all? I thought you guys got into a pretty big fight last year."

"He is no weakling," Thor allowed. "In battle, I would be the victor, but Loki is cunning and full of tricks. He is not an opponent to underestimate."

"So he wouldn't normally be captured so easily? He'd give us quite a fight, wouldn't he?"

"He would," Thor said, frowning. His eyes met mine for the first time. "Being taken to this place must have been a part of his scheme."

"That's my thought. He wants to be here. But why?"

Thor had no answer. It was disappointing, but at least I had it confirmed from a good source that Loki's behavior was abnormal and worth paying attention to. Thor rejoined the argument then and people began talking over each other. I rubbed my temples and listened, frustrated.

My head was pounding. I shut my eyes and covered them with the heels of my hands, pressing gently. This was a bad sign. I needed to be calm, to be in control, and the headache signaled the strain and fatigue on my body. I needed to center myself, but that was impossible with all of the negative energy filling the room.

I opened my eyes in time to see everybody ganging up on Banner. He was holding Loki's staff and things were getting tense; both Fury and Romanoff had their hands on their holsters.

Rogers was quick to handle the situation. "Dr. Banner, put down the scepter."

Banner did just that, looking at the scepter as though he had no idea how it had found its way into his hand. He likely didn't, since it was an object belonging to Loki. Then one of the computers alerted us to a match for the Tesseract. Banner hurried over to check on it, muttering, "Sorry kids, you don't get to see my party trick after all."

"You've located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.

Stark headed for the door, but was stopped when Rogers got in his face. The two were prepped to get into yet another argument - the last thing we needed - when fire erupted in the room, a small explosion blowing out the windows and sending everybody flying. Before I could do a thing about it, I fell, landing painfully on the floor in a room below.

"…Ow…" I groaned, lifting up on an elbow to look around.

Natasha was close by, her leg pinned beneath debris. Banner was lying still a few feet away. Natasha stirred, her hand going to her ear.

"We're okay," she assured the voice on the other end.

Together, we looked at Banner as he grunted and began to thrash around, fists clenching. I met Natasha's wide-eyed look with one of my own as she asked, "We're okay, right?"

"Yeah, we will be," I said, with more confidence than I felt. "Just keep calm. Talk to him."

Banner's condition was only worsening. I slowly got to my feet, wincing with the movement. Nothing was broken, but everything hurt. Only two things mattered right now: getting Natasha free and calming Banner down. Both things needed to be accomplished very quickly.

As I moved toward Natasha, she spoke to Banner. "Bruce, you've gotta fight it. This is what Loki wants. You're gonna be okay, just listen to me."

She swiftly waved off some crew members who arrived to help. I knelt beside her to try and lift the debris off, but it was too heavy. Could I calm my mind enough to use my powers? I had to try. I stood back up and focused, trying to push past the pounding headache. The pain and the stress of the situation were going to make this a steep challenge.

"We're gonna be okay," Natasha was saying. "I swear on my life, we're gonna get out of this. We're gonna walk away."

Banner suddenly turned toward her, mid-transformation, and roared, "Your life?!"

Just one priority now: Natasha.

"It's going to be all right," I assured her again, trying desperately to mask my ever-growing alarm. "Dr. Banner…Bruce…you remember us, right? We're friends. Calm down. _Just be calm._"

I put all of my concentration into moving the rubble, and Natasha pushed on it, giving it the extra help it needed. She wriggled free and stood as Banner scrambled away and finished his transformation. He was enormous, all anger and green muscle. But he wasn't looking at us. If we were quiet-

The Hulk turned and growled menacingly. Terrified, I threw out my hand, sending a telekinetic punch straight at his face. If Natasha was injured, I had to distract him and buy her time.

"Run! I know what I'm doing!" I told her, before she could question me. She ran.

The punch did not harm the Hulk, it only angered him further. He zeroed in on me as the attacker and roared, rearing back his fist and slamming it down at me. In a panic, I threw out a telekinetic barrier to catch the blow.

The full force of a Hulk punch was devastating. My shield diminished the impact, but it collapsed under the pressure and his fist struck me full in the chest. An explosion of white light appeared behind my eyes as my head cracked against the floor. Dazed and disoriented, I lay still, my body broken and bleeding, my breathing labored. My ribs were broken; how many, I had no idea. Maybe all of them.

The Hulk peered down at me. Then, satisfied with his work, he went bounding after Natasha.


End file.
